Air-gas apparatus.



Patented Oct. 30, I900.

C. W. MILLER.

AIB GAS. APPARATUS.

(Application filed June 7, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1- 6N0 Modal.)

m: "aims pzrzns co. mom-mud, WASHINGTON. n cy No. 660,9l6. Patented Oct. 30, I900.

C. w. MILLER. UAIR sAs APPAnATus.

(Applicatipn filed. June 7, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

m: Norms PUERS c0. Fuomuma. WASHINGTON, an;

P R E L L M W Q Am GAS APPARATUS.

{Application filed June 7, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.

- fwcrz on:

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oAsPAR WISTAR MILLER, OF WALLincnoRD, PENNSYLVANIA;

AIR-GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,916, d t d O tober 30, 1900.

Application filerl'lnne '7, 1899. berial No. 719,681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OAsPAR WISTAR MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Wallingford, Delaware county, Pennsylvania,have invented certain Improvements in Air- Gas Apparatus, of which the followingisa specification.

My invention consists of certain improvements in mechanism for actuating the watervalve of an air-gas apparatus.

The object of myinvention is to so construct the mechanism that the valve will be grad ually moved during the fall of the moving section of the air-reservoir, so that the work of moving it may be distributed steadily or uni formly throughout the entire fall of the gasholder, whereby the pressure in the said gasholder may remain constant.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of sufficient of an air-gas apparatus to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1, partly in section. Fig. 3is a side view, drawn to a reduced scale, showing the air-reservoir in full; and Fig. 4 is a view of a modification of myinvention. Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sectional details of the valves shown in Fig. 1. A

While my inventionis adapted to any form of air-gas apparatus in which the air-reservoir has a moving part controlled by a fluid: pressure cylinder and piston, I will describe my invention in connection with one of the well-known forms of gas apparatus to which 'I have applied my improvements.

A is the fixed portion of the air reservoir, supported on suitable standards A.

A is the movable portion, adapted to work within the fixed portion A, as shown in Fig. 3. Bis the carbureter. In the present instance this carbureter is a horizontal cylinder connected to the air-reservoir A through the pipe I), valve-casingO, and pipe c.

' c is the air-inlet, through which air is admitted to the air-reservoir A through a valve casing O. The check-valve 0, Fig. 5, in this casing is so arranged that it allows 'air to'be drawn into'the reservoir on the upstroke of the movable section A the valve 10 being closed and cutting off communication with the carbureter B. On the downstroke 0 will be closed and air will'fl'ow through 10 into B. G is a shaft adapted to suitable hearings on sage n.

the shaft G by a belt h.

D is a fluid-pressure cylinder.

E is a piston-rod extending into the cylinder and connected at its upper end to the moving section A of the reservoir. The lower end of this piston-rod is not attached to the piston, but is in contact with it only when the piston is raising the moving sectionof the reservoir.

F is the valve controlling the admission of fluid to the cylinder D.

f is the fluid-inletpipe.

fis the outlet-pipe, andm, m, n, r, and r" are passages connecting the various parts of the valve F.

In the base of the cylinder D is a casing in which is an auxiliary valve having three pistons fixed to one spindle and constructed to rise and fall therein. Ports connect the center of this casing through the annular re-- cess r with the interior of the cylinder D, and other ports somewhat above these open to the inletfand through W-to the valve F, respectively. A passage 1" connects the upper partof thecasing with the upper part of F, while a similar passage n leads from a point below the center of said casing to the exhaustf'. A relatively'small passage on connects the lowest part of the casing through m with F at a point between the exhaust and the pastwo pistons on it, which when it is at the lowest point of its stroke are situated just below the passages m and 7", respectively, and at its highest point are just above these passages.

' f is the valve-rod, connected to the short arm 2'" of the lever'L'pivotedat itoa bracket on an extension of the cylinder D. long arm of the lever, which is engaged by the piston of the cylinder D on its upward The spindle f of the valve F has a is thestroke, so as to cut 06 the supply of water 1 and open the cylinder to waste.

The above-described apparatus is found on tion of the downstroke of the moving portion of the air-reservoir. Consequently there was more or less unevenness in the pressure and a certain amount of flickering, blowing, and waste of gas at certain intervals, which is one of the great objections to isolated air-gas apparatus as at present designed. By my invention I entirely overcome this objection and so arrange the parts that there will be an even pressure throughout and the change is hardly perceptible. This I attain by connecting the long arm of the lover I to the moving portion of the air-reservoir or to apparatus connected therewith that the movement of the valve will be coincident with the movementof the moving section of the air-reservoir. In the presentinstance Iattain this object in the following manner: On the shaft G, I secure a flanged scroll K. This scroll may be made in two parts and clamped to the shaft, the same as a two-part pulley, and the form of the scroll will depend upon the movement of the moving section of the air-reservoir and upon the connections and the length of the long arm of the lever I. I preferablyextend the flanges of the scroll down onto the shaft. Secured to the end of the arm of the lever I is a chain 7a, which passes around chain-wheels 7c Z0 and is attached to the highest portion of the scroll, as shown in Fig. 2, by a pin or other device. Interposed between the chain and the lever I is a spring This spring may be placed at any point throughout the length of the chain. In Fig. 4 I have shown the chain connected directly to the lever and the spring mounted between the wheel 70' and the frame. The purpose of this springis to provide means for moving the valve F during part of its stroke by energy taken directly from the piston and stored in the spring, thus reducing the distance through which it must be subsequently moved by the rotation of the shaft and also to keep the parts taut, thus taking up all unnecessary slack.

It will be understood that in addition to the parts shown in the drawings a machine of the type described has a second air-reservoir with a movable section situated near the 1 one illustrated at A and connected to the carbureter and to the gas-supply main. The movable section of this reservoir is weighted,

so that the pressure of the gas in the main is 1 being utilized, then the air will pass from the reservoir A through the pipe 0, valve-casing (J, and pipe 1) to the carbureter B, and as the air escapes the weight 9 will cause the moving section of the reservoir to be drawn down, and as the shaftG is turned the chain 7t: will be wound upon the scroll K. The air entering the carbureter has added to it the necessary quantity of combustible illuminating fluid, after which it passesas gas to the second reservoir and into the gas-main. (Not shown.) During the time that the movable section A is being raised the pressure in the mains is kept constant by the weighted m0vable section of the second reservoir. The first movement of the lever I, however, will be caused by the contraction of the spring W, as the parts are so set that the last upward movement of the lever I will expand the spring, and as the piston is not attached to the piston-rod the piston will fall back by contraction of the spring as soon as the water below the piston is allowed to escape. After the spring is contracted then the coiling of the chain upon the scroll will draw down the long arm of the lever I and will gradually shift the valve in the valve-casing F. This movement is continuous throughout the travel of the moving portion of the reservoir until the water-pressure is sufficient to move the piston within the cylinder, when the operation will be reversed. In order to obtain the best mechanical advantage, the last part of the winding may be done directly on the shaft. If this arrangement be adopted, the .flanges of the scroll should be continued beyond the bottom, as shown in the drawings, so that the chain may always follow a definite course. I prefer to allow about the last eighth :of the tot-a1 length of the chain to be wound on -,the shaft direct, the other seven-eighths be- ;ing wound on the scroll. When the moving jsection of the reservoir is raised by the fluid lentering the cylinder D, the lever I remains ;in the position in which it was set by the rchain until actuated by the piston near the lend of the upward stroke. In the meantime the shaft G has been revolved in the opposite direction, so that the chain will becomeslack; but as soon as the piston strikes the lever I lthis slack is immediately taken up by the Imovement of the lever, and the continued movement of the piston places the spring 70' 1 under tension. The valve is then shifted and the operation is repeated. Two valves may be used-one an inlet-valve and the other an outlet-valve-in place of the lsingle valve shown and described.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in an air-gas apparatus, of the air-reservoir having a moving section, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder adapted to raise the moving section of the air-reservoir, a valve controlling the admission of fluid to and exhaust from the cylinder, a lever connected to the valve, a driven shaft, mechanism connecting said shaft with the moving section of the reservoir-and a scroll on the shaft and a chain adapted to the scroll .and connected to the lever, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an air gas apparatus, of the reservoir having a moving section, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder connected to the moving section of the air-reservoir, a

5 valve controlling the admission of fluid to and exhaust from the cylinder, a lever connected'to the valve, a shaft turned in unison with the movement of the moving section of the air-reservoir, a scroll on the shaft, and a chain secured to the highest portion of the scroll and to the long arm of the lever and passing around pulleys so that the lever will be drawn down as the air is exhausted from the reservoir, substantially as described.

3. The combination in an air-gas apparams, of the air-reservoir having a moving section, a cylinder, a piston within the cylinder, a rod extending from the moving section of the air-reservoir to'the piston, a valve con- 20 trolling the admission of fluid to and exhaust from the cylinder, a lever connected to the valve, a shaft connected to the moving sec tion of the reservoir, a scroll on the shaft, a chain connected to the scroll and to the lever, and an interposed spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination in an air-gas appara tus, of an air-reservoir having a moving sec= tion, a cylinder, a piston therein, a rod extending from the moving section of the reservoir to the piston, a valve governing the flow of fluid to the cylinder, a lever connected 

